Referenced scriptures: Joshua 1:5, John 4:24, Hebrews 13:15, Isaiah 29:13, Philippians 1:6
As of late, not counting today, I had found myself in a
familiar place but somewhere that I hadn’t been in a while. I had been dealing
with a very real bout of depression. Immediately I began doing a personal inventory
of things in attempts to find out where this was coming from. I had missed a
couple of days with God in prayer due to houseguests and projects; so that
could have definitely played a part in all this, but for the most part I was still in my Bible and
seeking God and I was still praying, a lot. So why am I dealing with
depression? It was like I was on the elevator of life and stepped off in the
women’s shoe department but was looking for gizmos and gadgets. How’d I end up
here?
This morning I brought all this before God and He responded
again. At first it was so overwhelming all I could do is mumble through my
tears, “Help me…are you there?” Immediately within my spirit I hear, “I’ll
never leave you or forsake you…so you know I’m here” (see Joshua 1:5). This
response from God was my breaking point, I fell to my knees and buried my
tear-drenched face in my hands and allowed God’s presence to completely
envelope me. I told Him, “I know that I am supposed to walk by faith and that
this is not a feeling thing, but just like an earthly child needs a father’s
touch and affection, I too need that from You this morning.” God’s presence was
so strong I could literally feel the depression break off me.
During this time and since God has been speaking to me
through various avenues. He spoke through His Word, a Joyce Meyer podcast, and
fellow believer. The bottom-line is this; when we desire to do something great
for God and really impact this world for His glory that is going really tick
off the enemy. Everything that could possibly trip us up will be sent and one
of them is absolutely depression. How we react to these things introduced to us
is the key. Joyce Meyer avidly speaks about the importance on audibly quoting
scripture and honestly I hadn’t been doing that, until today.
As I drove into work I continued to pray and just enjoy God’s
presence. I prayed, spoke the word of God and wouldn’t you know it I had relocated
my joy. You see it’s only through true worship and adoration from the creation
to the Creator that genuine fulfillment and joy can be obtained (see John4:24). We were designed this way and what we were created for. I soon realized
I had once again allowed projects; deadlines & life keep me from entering
into my most intimate time of worship to God. Hebrews 13:15 tells us to
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise (and worship) to God. Did you catch
that; continually. I had become so wrapped up with life that
my worship is what suffered.
Worship has to be something that is done on a regular
ongoing basis and not just once a week while in a church building somewhere. It
is through our worship that we turn away from our problems/issues and give our
full (undivided) attention to the only One that can solve them. Through worship
we tell God, “I trust You; I trust You so much that I’m going to worship you,
focus on You and allow You to fill me.” So how is it that we can attend church
some of us multiple times a week and still miss opportunities to truly worship
God? Well, that’s easy Isaiah 29:13 tells us the answer to that, “These people
say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by a rote”.
This is the NLT version and I love the use of the word “rote” defined it means:
a routine; a fixed,
habitual, or mechanical course of procedure. I had allowed life to move my
heart away from God and towards other things which caused my worship to become
routine and the outcome of routine worship is emptiness.
So regardless of what may be going on in your
life…STOP…SLOW DOWN…and take some time to really focus back on God. He brought
you all this way and according to His Word (Philippians 1:6) He is faithful to
complete what He started in you. Take time today to give Him at least 5 minutes
of uninterrupted time. It is only when we truly seek Him that we will truly
find Him.
Take Care & God Bless,
-E
Hi Eric!
ReplyDeleteYour post today is so moving. I enjoyed reading it very much.
This is off topic, but last weekend my boyfriend and I were having a conversation. I was wondering about your opinion on the point of our conversation since you are such a faithful believer.
The bottom line point of our conversation was about the after life. I've always had an avid interest in paranormal, supernatural, ghosts, etc. After my grandmother who was very close to me passed in 2005, I've become even more interested in all of that. The Bible is so vague at times. At one point it says "To be absent from the body is to be present with God" and other times it refers to death as a place of rest until God returns on judgement day.
My boyfriend's point was that I am following demons and evil when I pursue the spirit of my grandmother and others. He says I am stepping onto ground that is not for me, only for God and those who are dead. My family has always been similar...thinking they can see and speak to deceased, etc. He says it's all evil, and that the devil is misleading us, tempting us with spirits of people we think we know and love but really is all a ruse and that I am actually following the devil when I leave my mind open to accepting communication from the dead. He says any spirits that contact me and try to make me aware of their presence are satanic and that good spirits of God do not stay on the earth after they part from their human form, only demonic, bad spirits stay behind. I get confused because in my mind, I would think all spirits are still present on earth awaiting Jesus' return.
He kept insisting I am wrong, and that he felt the things he was saying to me were not even words from his mind, but that he felt as if God was compelling him to say those things to me for the sake of my own soul. He even mentioned to me that his dead mother came to him in a dream but he turned away from her because he knows her soul is in heaven and any spirit approaching him is demonic and using her form.
So I was just wondering what your view on all of this situation would be possibly.
Valerie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, I had to post a new blog for your comment response. I exceeded the character count for a comment I guess. You can check out my response to your question at:
http://ericferrera.blogspot.com/2012/02/response-to-comment-afterlife-ghosts.html
Thanks again for your question.
-Eric